Model Railroads

Build a Mini-Railroad Diorama at the B&O Station

child with dioramas
diaoramas connected together

Learn how to build a diorama for an N gauge railroad, complete with tiny trains, landscapes, and buildings! You will build, decorate, and leave with a finished link to your first modular layout. You can work at your own pace. Once the units are completed, we will demonstrate connecting them and running a train.

The cost is $20 per child, while there is no charge for the accompanying adult. Feel free to bring snacks.

This workshop will fill up fast!

Register

This session will be led by Jeff Peck of the IDiots T-Trak (Independent Dudes In Operation Top Secret) along with the Rockville Model Railroad Society.

KatoUSA logoThank you to our sponsors and funders: I>D>I>O>T>S T-Trak club, Rockville Model Railroad Society, and Kato USA

Please note that the number of available parking spaces is limited. There is a special needs space and ramp at the station. Additional parking is available one block away at county garage and lot #4, 8100 Fenton Street, with an additional entrance off of Sligo Avenue. Traffic and crosswalk lights facilitate crossing Georgia Avenue at Sligo Avenue in front of the station.

The station is handicapped accessible and has a handicapped accessible restroom.

Photo credit: Stephen Moore

Silver Spring B&O Station Heritage Marker Dedication & Open House

MPI is joining in the fun and holding our June Open House on Saturday, June 27 (11 am to 4 pm) during Montgomery County’s 27th annual Heritage Days weekend.

Special Events

  • 11:00 am: Dedication of Silver Spring Baltimore & Ohio Station Heritage Marker

Join SSHS and MPI for the unveiling of the newest Silver Heritage Trail sign!  The colorful, double-sided sign will commemorate the original 1878 and replacement 1946 station as Silver Spring’s “The Hub of Growth” and “The Station Masters,” who operated them for a total of 119 years. Read more information about the other Silver Heritage Trail signs located in downtown Silver Spring.

Dedication Remarks: Jerry McCoy, President of Silver Spring Historical Society

Special Guests: County Executive Marc Elrich plus Descendants of Jonathan Burns and Robert Davis, former Station Masters

  • 12:30 pm: Storyteller Jane Dorfman
Jane Dorfman
Jane Dorfman

Ms. Dorfman shares folk tales, fairy tales, and personal stories with audiences of all ages. She is dedicated to passing on the world’s amazing heritage of stories and loves to transport her listeners through her craft. You can learn more about her work at her website or YouTube channel.

Ongoing Activities

  • Take a self-guided tour outside & inside the station.
  • “Train Spot” under the canopy! See locomotives galore! Wave at the engineers!
  • Indoors, enjoy the HO-scale model train display courtesy of the Rockville Model Railroad Society.
  • Play with wooden toy train sets.
  • Visit the station manager’s ticket office and 1945 telephone booth.
  • See railroad photos & memorabilia, including the original B&O “Drumhead,” along with photos & memorabilia of the original Downtown Silver Spring.

Please note that the number of parking spaces is limited. Additional parking is available one block away at county garage and lot #4, 8100 Fenton Street, with an additional entrance off of Sligo Avenue. Traffic and crosswalk lights facilitate crossing Georgia Avenue at Sligo Avenue in front of the station.

There is a special needs space and ramp at the station, along with an accessible entrance and restroom.

The station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

Co-Hosted by Montgomery Preservation & Silver Spring Historical Society

Find out more: rentals | station highlights | support the station maintenance fund | photos from past events

MoCo Heritage Days at Silver Spring B&O Station & Other Sites

Heritage Montgomery, a MPI Member Organization, is hosting the 26th annual Heritage Days weekend celebrating the historic, cultural, and outdoor recreation sites in Montgomery County. This festival offers programs, activities, and tours appealing to visitors of all ages and interests.

MPI is joining in the fun and invites you to visit our historic train station for real train spotting, a toy train play set, a permanent model train display, and photos and memorabilia of the railroad’s glory days and historic Silver Spring. We will be open both Saturday, June 28th and Sunday, June 29th from 12 – 4 pm.

Painting with Paper PulpSunday Special Guest: Painting with Paper Pulp

From 12 – 2pm, art instructor Kenny Bliss will share how to upcycle paper and then recycle its pulp into a beautiful piece of artwork created by you…. He will teach us how the paper pulp is created, then guide us through the art project resulting in hangable work of arts.

Yard sale: Your purchase of new, gently used, and vintage items (Including model trains!) will support the B&O Station maintenance fund.

Parking and Trail Information: Construction of a new bridge to carry the Metropolitan Branch Hiker-Biker Trail over Georgia Ave has begun. As part of this construction a temporary security fence has been installed across the station parking lot. A drive-through gate will be open. Please note that because of contractor equipment using the lot, the number of available parking spaces will be limited. There is a special needs space and ramp at the station. Additional parking is available at county garage and lot #4 (8100 Fenton St.) and at the lot at 938 Philadelphia Ave.; both are one block from the station.

Co-Hosted by Montgomery Preservation & Silver Spring Historical Society

This Station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

MoCo Heritage Days at Silver Spring B&O Station & Other Sites

Heritage Montgomery, a MPI Member Organization, is hosting the 26th annual Heritage Days weekend celebrating the historic, cultural, and outdoor recreation sites in Montgomery County. This festival offers programs, activities, and tours appealing to visitors of all ages and interests.

MPI is joining in the fun and invites you to visit our historic train station for real train spotting, a toy train play set, a permanent model train display, and photos and memorabilia of the railroad’s glory days and historic Silver Spring. We will be open both Saturday, June 28th and Sunday, June 29th from 12 – 4 pm.

Purple line trainSaturday special guests

12 pm – 2 pm: Purple Line: The New East-West Light Rail Is Connecting Communities

12 pm – 4 pm: Independent Dudes in Operation Top Secret (Idiots) T-Trak N-Gauge Modular Rail Display

Yard sale: Your purchase of new, gently used, and vintage items (Including model trains!) will support the B&O Station maintenance fund.

Parking and Trail Information: Construction of a new bridge to carry the Metropolitan Branch Hiker-Biker Trail over Georgia Ave has begun. As part of this construction a temporary security fence has been installed across the station parking lot. A drive-through gate will be open. Please note that because of contractor equipment using the lot, the number of available parking spaces will be limited. There is a special needs space and ramp at the station. Additional parking is available at county garage and lot #4 (8100 Fenton St.) and at the lot at 938 Philadelphia Ave.; both are one block from the station.

Co-Hosted by Montgomery Preservation & Silver Spring Historical Society

This Station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

Build a Mini-Railroad Diorama

Sponsors and Presenters: IDiots T-Trak (Independent Dudes In Operation Top Secret ) and Rockville Model Railroad Society

child with dioramas
Credit: Stephen Moore
diaoramas connected together
Credit: Stephen Moore

Build a mini-train diorama for an N gauge train! You will build, decorate, and leave with a finished link to your first modular layout.

If time allows, we will connect all the newly created units and run a train.

This session will be led by Jeff Peck and Mat Chibarro of the I>D>I>O>T>S T-trak club along with the Rockville Model Railroad Society.

The cost is $10 per child, with no fee for the accompanying adult. This workshop will fill up fast!

Register

Please note that because of contractor equipment using the lot, the number of available parking spaces will be limited. There is a special needs space and ramp at the station. Additional parking is available at county garage and lot #4 (8100 Fenton St.) that is one block from the station.

March Open House Features Music and More with Ray and Christine

Come aboard for a fun time!

Show times: 11 am and 1pm

Ray Owen with train
Courtesy of Ray Owen

Ray Owen, a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/entertainer, and Christine (aka “Christine and The Road King”) will present their “Great American Railroad Show.”

All aboard for an award-winning performance of engaging boxcar ballads, spiritual freight train blues, and rousing rattle-n-roll songs, woven together with historic backstories.

This March 1st performance, sandwiched between February (Black History Month) and March (Women’s History Month), will feature classic railroad songs written by some of the matron saints of African-American blues music – Sister Rosetta and Libba Cotton, as well as the legendary folk-blues artist Lead Belly.

Since March is also the National Irish-American Heritage Month, the show will celebrate Irish-American contributions inspired by the building of the groundbreaking B&O and the Great American Railroad.

Ongoing Activities

  • Take a self-guided tour outside & inside the Station.
  • “Train Spot” under the canopy! See locomotives galore! Wave at the Engineers!
  • Indoors, enjoy the Rockville Model Railroad Society’s HO Scale Model Train Display, locomoting thru a 24-hour day in 7 1/2 minutes, sunrise to sunset to sunrise.
  • Play with a wooden toy train set and ride Thomas the Tank Engine.
  • Visit Station Manager’s ticket office and 1945 telephone booth.
  • See railroad photos & memorabilia, including the original B&O “Drumhead,” along with photos & memorabilia of the original Downtown Silver Spring.

This Station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

Please note that because of contractor equipment using the lot, the number of available parking spaces will be limited. There is a special needs space and ramp at the station. Additional parking is available at county garage and lot #4 (8100 Fenton St.) that is one block from the station.

Open House Co-Hosted by Montgomery Preservation & Silver Spring Historical Society

 

Akhmedova Ballet Academy at the Silver Spring B&O Station Open House

Special Guests: Akhmedova Ballet Academy

Peter and the Wolf-ABA

ABA students will be joining us from 11:00 – 12:00.  They are excited to meet with the children and families of the local community to talk about all aspects of their training and life as ballet students. Children will be able to interact with the dancers and ask them questions. The dancers will also prepare an excerpt from their upcoming performance of “Peter and the Wolf.” Children can enjoy this sneak peak of the show and then take pictures with the characters in their costumes.

All families that sign the guest book are invited to enter a drawing for a set of four free tickets to see the Ballet Academy performance of “Peter and the Wolf” at the Silver Spring Black Box Theater, 8641 Colesville Road. Winners must be available to attend on Sunday, February 16. Tickets will also be available for purchase.

Jacqueline Akhmedova, Artistic Director, said: “The Akhmedova Ballet Academy is dedicated to providing the finest quality ballet training utilizing the Vaganova Method with personal and artistic mentoring to prepare young talented dancers to become strong and fully developed artists ready to take their places in major dance companies around the world. Akhmedova Ballet Academy (ABA) has been providing world-class ballet training since 2011, equipping its dancers to join the ranks of professional companies. ABA’s exceptional faculty provide a nurturing environment where students thrive as both dancers and individuals. No matter what educational or career path our students choose, their training will instill in them the work-ethic and communication and collaborative skills necessary for producing successful leaders and citizens, committed to community, diversity and values-driven pursuits.”

“ABA is very proud to be active within the community. Each year the academy brings many performances to those that do not have as much access to the arts by traveling to senior centers and senior living homes. ABA also visits public schools to introduce art and culture to our community’s youth. ABA’s studio company taught a dance workshop to the students of Rolling Terrace ES and the young girls of the Positive Outcome Mentoring Program. ABA enjoys participating in both the Wheaton Arts Parade and the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade every year. At ABA we love to share our art with those around us and serve our diverse community.”

Learn more about ABA.

Ongoing Activities

  • Take a self-guided tour outside & inside the Station.
  • “Train Spot” under the canopy! See locomotives galore! Wave at the Engineers!
  • Indoors, enjoy the Rockville Model Railroad Society’s HO Scale Model Train Display, locomoting thru a 24-hour day in 7 1/2 minutes, sunrise to sunset to sunrise.
  • Play with a wooden toy train set and ride Thomas the Tank Engine.
  • Visit Station Manager’s ticket office and 1945 telephone booth.
  • See railroad photos & memorabilia, including the original B&O “Drumhead,” along with photos & memorabilia of the original Downtown Silver Spring.

This Station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

Please note that because of contractor equipment using the lot, the number of available parking spaces will be limited. There is a special needs space and ramp at the station. Additional parking is available at county garage and lot #4 (8100 Fenton St.) that is one block from the station.

Open House Co-Hosted by Montgomery Preservation & Silver Spring Historical Society

Open House at the Silver Spring B&O Station

Step on Board! Explore Silver Spring’s Historic Railroad Station!

Ongoing Activities:

Take a self-guided tour outside & inside the Station.

“Train Spot” under the canopy! See locomotives galore! Wave at the Engineers!

Indoors, enjoy HO Scale Model Train Display, locomoting thru a 24-hour day in 7 1/2 minutes, sunrise to sunset to sunrise.

Play with wooden toy train set and ride Thomas the Tank Engine.

Visit Station Manager’s ticket office and 1945 telephone booth.

See B&O “Drumhead,” rail photos, & memorabilia of the original Downtown Silver Spring.

Enjoy Station Manager Robert Davis’ Brownie camera photos taken when he was 16 years of age.

Open House Co-Hosted by Montgomery Preservation & Silver Spring Historical Society

montgomerypreservation.org

facebook.com/sshistory/

301-495-4915

This Station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

Holiday Craft Day at Silver Spring B&O Station Open House

Step on Board! Explore Silver Spring’s Historic Railroad Station!

Special Activity: Bring on the holiday cheer! Make easy holiday crafts and decorate the Station or share with a friend or loved one. Bring your imagination and we’ll provide the inspiration.

station door with Christmas wreath
Credit: John Sery

Ongoing Activities:

Take a self-guided tour outside & inside the Station.

“Train Spot” under the canopy! See locomotives galore! Wave at the Engineers!

Indoors, enjoy HO Scale Model Train Display, locomoting thru a 24-hour day in 7 1/2 minutes, sunrise to sunset to sunrise.

Play with wooden toy train set and ride Thomas the Tank Engine.

Visit Station Manager’s ticket office and 1945 telephone booth.

See B&O “Drumhead,” rail photos, & memorabilia of the original Downtown Silver Spring.

Enjoy Station Manager Robert Davis’ Brownie camera photos taken when he was 16 years of age.

Open House Co-Hosted by Montgomery Preservation & Silver Spring Historical Society

montgomerypreservation.org

facebook.com/sshistory/

301-495-4915

This Station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

Engaging “N” Gauge Model Railroading Layouts at Open House

Step on Board! Explore Silver Spring’s Historic Railroad Station!

Special Event:

Engaging “N” Gauge Model Railroading Layouts Brought to You by Independent Dudes in Operation Top Secret Model Railroad Club [I.D.I.O.T.S.]

Miniature Model N Gauge Railroad Trains Locomote through Towns, Mountainous Terrain, and Tunnels & Over Bridges!

Railroad Trains Locomote at Eye-Level for the Kids!

N Gauge Layout

Ongoing Activities:

Take a self-guided tour outside & inside the station.

“Train Spot” under the canopy! See locomotives galore! Wave at the engineers!

Indoors, enjoy HO Scale Model Train Display, locomoting thru a 24-hour day in 7 1/2 minutes, sunrise to sunset to sunrise.

Play with wooden toy train set and ride Thomas the Tank Engine.

Visit Station Manager’s ticket office and 1945 telephone booth.

See B&O “Drumhead,” rail photos, & memorabilia of the original Downtown Silver Spring.

Enjoy Station Manager Robert Davis’ Brownie camera photos taken when he was 16 years of age.

Open House Co-Hosted by Montgomery Preservation & Silver Spring Historical Society

montgomerypreservation.org

facebook.com/sshistory/

301-495-4915

This Station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

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